Brian Snitker steps down as Braves manager, will enter team’s HOF in 2026

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Brian Snitker, who led one of Major League Baseball’s cornerstone franchises to six consecutive division titles from 2018-23 and a World Series championship in 2021, will not manage the Atlanta Braves in 2026, he and the team announced on Wednesday.

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Snitker, who turns 70 on Oct. 17, has spent 49 seasons with the Braves organization, serving in a variety of roles including player, coach, instructor and managing the club since 2016.

The news conference to announce Snitker’s decision was described as a celebration by Braves chairman Terry McGuirk and general manager and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos. Snitker was emotional at times as he described his late-season uncertainty about his desire to manage another year and how he finally concluded it was time to step down.

“I said I’m going to need a little time after that last out to decide what I’m going to do,” Snitker said. “After I got home and decompressed a little bit, I decided this was the best move.”

Throughout the 2025 season, it was widely assumed it would be Snitker’s last as manager. But Snitker left the possibility of continuing to manage in 2026, expressing how there was some “unfinished business here,” following an injury-ravaged season that resulted in the Braves’ first losing record since 2017.

PREVOUS COVERAGE: ‘Unfinished business’: Braves manager Brian Snitker talks future with organization

But on Wednesday, an emotional Snitker addressed a group that included players Ozzie Albies, Drake Baldwin, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II and Joe Jiménez.

“Honestly, I never thought I’d manage one day in the Major Leagues, let alone 10 years,” Snitker said during his press conference. “I never thought I’d hoist a [World Series] trophy. I never thought I’d be around a group of guys that makes this so special. It’s about the players and we’ve been fortunate here to have the greatest group of coaches and players.”

Snitker will transition to an advisory role with the team in 2026 and will be inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame prior to a game next season. He and his wife, Ronnie, who have lived the ever-demanding baseball life since the 1980s, were gifted a brand-new Ford truck and an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii.

When Snitker signed a three-year extension in 2022, he expected 2025 to be his final season.

But the idea of going out on a losing season weighed on him. He thought about his 10-year-old twin grandsons, Luke and Jude Goodman, who participate in many youthful activities.

He couldn’t keep missing those moments.

“I missed everything my kids did,” Snitker said. “One of the things I didn’t want was to miss everything my grandkids do.

“If you wait to retire until you’re ready to retire, you never will.”

Attention now turns to who will replace Snitker at the helm. There’s a deep pool of candidates - both internal and external - the team could consider. Four-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy, who recently parted ways with the Texas Rangers, seems like an exceptional option with the current state of Atlanta’s roster. Another option is Ron Washington, who recently parted ways with the Los Angeles Angels and has strong ties to Atlanta.

Snitker, one of baseball’s most respected figures, steps aside with a record of 811 wins and 668 losses as Braves manager. His 800th career victory on Sept. 8, 2025, made him the 86th manager in baseball history to win at least 800 games and just the 43rd to win at least 800 games with a single team. He joined Baseball Hall of Famer Bobby Cox as the only other title-winning manager for the Braves and ranks third in franchise history behind Cox (2,149) and fellow Hall of Famer Frank Selee (1,004), who managed the Boston-era Braves from 1890-1901.

Snitker managed for 20 seasons in the minor leagues, compiling a 1,301-1,309 record. He replaced current third base coach Fredi Gonzalez, who was fired by the Braves on May 17, 2016, as interim manager. He got his start in Single-A Anderson (S.C.) in 1982 and was named the team’s full-time manager on Oct. 11, 2016.

“I was blessed to be raised by Hall of Famers and people who did it right,” Snitker said.

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